Monthly Archives: March 2011

A Cognitive Analysis of Angry Birds: What Makes the Game So Successful?

by Noemi Twigg
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A Cognitive Analysis of Angry Birds: What Makes the Game So Successful?

There is no way that one can ignore the popularity of the game Angry Birds. Even people who would never touch a gaming console under normal circumstances have been caught in the Angry Birds hype. The popularity of the game has reached such heights that we’ve seen the likes of Angry Zombie Birds and Angry Birds birthday cakes. Have you ever wondered what makes this simple game so successful?  Me, I just go ahead and play – or at least try to; oftentimes those green pigs just make me angrier than the birds!  Charles L. Mauro went one step further than wondering.  He decided to do a cognitive analysis of Read more »

The Complete History of Mortal Kombat in 3:44

by Jayvee Fernandez
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The Complete History of Mortal Kombat in 3:44

Damn, I actually learned something. This is probably IGN’s most informative video to help everyone get up to speed with what’s been happening in the Mortal Kombat Universe. This is one of the world’s longest fighting franchises together with Street Fighter, but unlike the latter, Mortal Kombat doesn’t hold back when it comes to having almost impossible story lines that involve people dying, getting resurrected, fighting gods, time-space anomalies, and basically deciding the fate of the universe through Kombat. With a K. This also seems to explain the setting of the latest Mortal Kombat series where Rayden’s future self warns him of the hopeless future. It seems Rayden takes this Read more »

Deus Ex: Choose Your Own Adventure

by Robin Parrish
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Deus Ex: Choose Your Own Adventure

Deus Ex was a true original. At a time when first-person shooters were all about running-and-gunning, here was a game that let you choose between multiple methods of play in order to succeed. Need to intervene in a hostage situation? You could go in guns blazing, or you could crawl through ventilation ducts to use stealth and carefully snipe the bad guys from the shadows. The new game, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, is not from the same creator (Warren Spector) or even the same studio (Ion Storm), but it’s working overtime to deliver a next-generation gaming experience that’s built on the same principles. Eidos Montreal is constructing the new game, Read more »

James Bond Never Had a Watch This Cool

by Robin Parrish
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James Bond Never Had a Watch This Cool

Heck, even Dick Tracy’s cool video phone watch can’t hold a candle to this bad boy. This concept from designer Alexey Chugunnikov is a combination time-telling device and telephone, doing both things in unexpected, futuristic ways. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie, yet it’s gloriously within reach. And you want one. Read more »

What we could have won!

by Darren Burr
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What we could have won!

So today sees the Fantastic Four finally accept Spider-Man as a member outside of the confines of a What-If story, while his Ultimate doppelganger risks facing his death. Considering the casualties in the Ultimate universe recently, I can well believe Brian Michael Bendis would kill him off. After all, far be it from BMB to attempt to do anything shocking, and I suppose it is one way to deal with Spider-Man’s current over-exposure. I’m just waiting for him to become an X-Men reservist, now that he is on as many teams as Wolverine himself. Maybe they both had a blood transfusion from Jamie Maddrox? The final issue of Ultimate Doom Read more »

Portal 2: Gentlemen, I give you Panels

by Jayvee Fernandez
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Portal 2: Gentlemen, I give you Panels

Valve sure knows how to keep us excited for Portal 2. I came from a tech demo earlier showing how Portal 2 can be played using motion capture controls (on a Wii) and was completely blown away. With the approach of the year’s most anticipated puzzle / adventure game, Valve finally gives a name to the ever-changing environments within Aperture Science, called “Panels.” This is the brilliance of Valve’s storytelling. Many months ago I had a hard time imagining an great story arc for Portal 2 and how they could have possibly pulled through with a damn good story to match the game’s unique play style. Aperture Science is alive. Read more »

Get These Unique Watches and Help Japan

by Noemi Twigg
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Get These Unique Watches and Help Japan

There is something to be said about watches that do not spoon feed you the time. Of course, it is quite convenient to take one look at your watch and see the time in digital format. Analog works just as well, although we do have to learn to tell time that way as kids. Then again, why stick with old boring watches when you can find watches that give you a little more challenge? At Tokyo Flash Japan, you can find a host of watches that are not your run-of-the-mill watches. Check out the Kisai Joypad LED Watch, for example. And how the heck can you tell the time? You Read more »

The Pathology of Inactive Life

by Darice de Cuba
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The Pathology of Inactive Life

MBike, a bike brand, has a very unique ad campaign using a threesome of fictional pathology illustrations depicting the consequences of an inactive life due to our modern way of life. With computers and machines doing most of the work, we humans spend a lot more time sitting behind a computer than 60 years ago. Not only for work, but socially also. MBike made good use of that fact using pathology illustrations of humans with symptoms such as Deskorheea, Chronic Computerosis and Armchairitis. Read more »